• Binance said that it will be releasing the first Ronaldo NFT collection by the end of this year.
• The news of Ronaldo partnering with Binance spread like a wildfire among his fans and the crypto NFT community.

Crypto exchange Binance sealed one of its biggest deals in history. On Thursday, June 23, the crypto exchange announced its partnership with football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

As per reports, this is a multi-year joint marketing agreement between Binance and Ronaldo. As part of the deal, Binance will be producing Ronaldo NFT collections every year, released exclusively on the Binance NFT marketplace. Binance will release the first Ronaldo NFT collection later this year. Also, registered Binance users in some select countries will be able to purchase these collections using Binance Pay.

As part of the partnership, Binance will be launching a global promotion introducing Web 3 to Ronaldo’s global fans and offering them a compelling entry point in the world of NFTs. Speaking of the development, Cristiano Ronaldo said:

Proud to be partnering with @binance. Together we’ll give you the opportunity to own an iconic piece of sports history. I’m excited to take this journey with all of you. Let’s change the NFT game with Binance.

Nothing is more important to me than the fans, so the idea of bringing unprecedented experiences and access through this platform is something that I wanted to be a part of. I know the fans are going to enjoy the collection as much as I do.

The rise of sports NFTs

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have created a massive rage in the crypto space over the last year. NFTs sales have skyrocketed and the sports industry is making the most of it. The sports industry has been capitalizing on the NFT wave in the best possible manner.

These NFTs can represent anything like sports cards, unique game moments, and much more. Binance said that this partnership will allow them to take “sports fandom” to the next level. Commenting on this new partnership. Binance Founder and CEO “CZ” (Changpeng Zhao) said:

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the world’s best footballers, and has transcended sport to become an icon in multiple industries. He has amassed one of the world’s most dedicated fan bases through his authenticity, talent, and charity work. We are thrilled to provide his fans with exclusive engagement opportunities to connect with Ronaldo and own a piece of iconic sports history.

The news of the announcement spread like a wildfire among Ronaldo fans on Thursday. Zoomph, the partnerships analytics firm said that Ronaldo’s Twitter and Instagram posts saw 48 million impressions in just the first week.

Sports legends are increasingly getting closer to the world of NFTs. Lionel Messi’s French soccer club Paris Saint-Germain is working towards building its own metaverse and NFTs.